Force-feed lubricator



J. E. OSNIER.

FORCEFED LUBRICATOR.

`APPLICATION FILED MN. x2. 1920.

194121,89@ Patented Apr. 1s, 1922.

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rarsur ortica.'

JOHN n. osiviiin. or owosso, Mic-Hierin. assronon or ONE-HALE To JAMES M.

JoRpAN, or PUNXSUTAWNEY, PENNsYLvaNIA.

' FORCE-FEED LUBRICATOR.

specification of Leitersratent. Patented Apr. 181, 1922.

Application led January 12, 1920. Serial No. 350,788.

tion against the actionot pressure fluid.

fr iiioi'c specific object' of the, invention is 1o provide improved means tor controlling l c [low ot oil i"roiii the pump to the point ct' consumption.

.fi turther object of the invention is to' provide an oil pump in which a quantity of oil iiiay be maintained under constant pressure siiiiiciently high to overcome the torce oi pressure l'liiid at the point of consumption.

The objects ot the invention thus `generally stated, together with other and ancillary advantages, may be attained by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accomiianyiiig drawings wherein Figure 1 is a 'fragmentary side elevation showing my improved lubricator applied to a steam engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the oil pump taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the pump taken in the plane of line 8 3 ot Fig. 2,- a portion of the pump being shown in elevation. Fig. d is a horizontal section taken on line 4-et of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a Atraginentary sectional view ot a check valve employed at the point ot consumption.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 is the steam chest of one of the cylinders of a locoi'uotivc and 2 the valve operating rod of the chest. 3 designates generally a pump constructed in accordance with my invention mounted upon the steam chest and operable by means ota suitable connection between a moving part ot the engine, such as the valve operating rod 2, and an operating lcicr it ot the pump.

iii.

i lapted to operate under all conditions tocliectively supply oil to a point ot consuinpv Herein such connec-.

tion consists ot' a linl 5 fixed to an arm 6 rigid with the valve operating rod 2. 7 and 7 indicate discharge pipes leading from the pump to the opposite cylinders of the locomotive engine, only one of such cylinders being herein shown.

The pump may be mounted in any suitable manner in a desired position rela- Y. tive to the actuating' mechanism therefor,

it being understood that the invention is not`r limited to the particular manner shown of, applying the .invention to a mechanism to be' 1 lubricated.

The pump propercoinprises a casing` having a niaii'ifor supply chamber 8 and a high pressure chamber 9, said chambers being separated by a horizontal partition 10 loetween kwhich and the wall of the casing oi'ining the high pressure chamber are pro vided stays 11 tor imparting strength thererilie opposite side walls of the casingarc'niade o'l increased thickness as shown at 2 12,V (Fig. 3), and such enlarged portions of the side walls are provided with vertical hores to receive the cylinders vof the punip. 1

lrcierably l employ a dual lpump construc- Y' tion, comprisingl two iii cylinders 14.

llach oi"A the pump cylinders 14` comprises" a tubular member of substantial length and small diameter, and is held in place by means oil a'set screw 15. Said plungers 13 are also made of substantial length, extending a substantial distance beyond the'center ot the cylinder. At its lower end each cylinder communicates by means of apas# sageway 16 therein and a port 17 in the'v wall with a valve chamber 18, the latter communicating by means of a -port 19 with the highv pressure chamber 9. In the valve chamber 18 is a ball check 20 adapted to be seated upon the end of the passageway 17 and normally heldin position upon its seat by means of a spring-21 bearing between a pressure element 22 and a screw plug 23 entered in the wall of the casing.

For operating the plungers 13 l provide a rocker arm 21 pivoted at its center upon a pivot pin 25 carried by a pair ot upstanding arms 26 on the upper wall of the pump casing. ihe plungers 18 are each; pivotally connected to the opposite ends of the armi' 24 by means of pivot pins 27 and rigid with the rocker arm 24'centrally thereof isrthe operating arm 4, the lower end of which is connected by means of the link 5 and arm 6 with the valve rod 2.

The reciprocation of the operating arm 4 and hence the up and down movements of the plungers 13 is arranged to draw oil from the oil chamber 8 and force it into the high pressure chamber 9. ThisV is effected by the movement of the plungers 13 within the cylinders 14, and to permit such flow of oil to the cylinders 14 and thence to the chamberv .9, I provide near the bottom of each chamber in each side wall of the case a duct 28, and registering with said duct a port 29 in the tubular member 14. It will be seen that upon the upward stroke of each of the plungers 13, oil will be drawn from the chamber 8 into the pump cylinders 14, and upon the downward movement of the plungers oil will be forced by 'way of the Vports 17 and valve .control passage 16 into the vvalve chambers 18, and thence by way of port 19, into the high pressure chamber 9.

Between the high pressure chamber 9 and the chamber 8 is interposed a relief valve designated generally by the numeral 30. This Vrelief valve comprises a ball check valve w31 entered within a valve chamber 32 whichmay'be formed within the chamber 8 integral with the partition l0. The ball check 31 is rheld seated upon lthe upper edge of a port-33 in said partition by means of aA compression spring 34 bearii'ig between a screw plug35 entered in the valve casing 32 and alici-ding member 36 engaging with the ball. A port A37 in the side of the valve casing. 32 establishes communication between the chamber 8 and the interior of the casing. By adjusting the nut the spring- 34 may be tensioned asv desired, and in practice this tension is such that when the pressure of oil in chamber 9 reaches a predetermined point above that necessary to force oil to the point of consumption under pressure, oil will be permitted to escape from the high pressure chamber into the lowV pressure chamber by way of the relief valve 30. K

From the high pressure chamber 9 the oil is conducted to the point or points of consumption and this may be effected in any preferred way. Preferably I utilize the plungers 1'3 to control the flow of oil from the high pressure chamber. To this end I provide a passageway 38 leading through each wall `of the casing with a portion sub-Y stantially 'Sshaped so as to be interrupted by the plunger 13; and said passageway has at one end a vertical portion 38a connected with the 4chamber 9 and at its other end a horizontal portion 38b connected with an outlet nozzle 39. The S-shaped portion of .said passageway' comprises vertical portions 38 Vand 38d on opposite sides of the pump clamp the member 41 in position. member 41 is preferably made of. spring steel communicating at their opposite ends with the interior of the pump cylinder' by means of suitable ports in the cylinder. In the plunger 13 is a passage 40 which is adapted in the movements of the plungers to successively establish communication between the portion 38aof said passageway and the portion 38C; between the portion 38c and the portion 38d; and between the portion 38d and the portion 38h. It will thus be seen that in `the movements of the plungers oil from the chamber 9 will flow under pressure successively from one portion of the passageway to the next, as permitted by the port 4() in the plunger', until it finally arrives at the discharge nozzle 39 from whence it is conducted by means -of the pipes 7 or 7a to the point or points of consumption. By proper tio'ning the sizeof the portions 38 and 38d of the passageway 38 it will be seen that the Aamount of oil which is discharged with each reciprocation of the arm 4 may be regulated as desired.

For the purpose of effectively preventing the leakage of oil into the pump cylinder from'the passageway 38, I provide the plungers 13 in their central portions with a split tubular valve member 41. To this end the plunger proper is `reduced in diameter in its lower Vportion suiiiciently to accommodate the 'valve member41, the latter being split as shown at 42. To hold said member against rotation upon the plunger, a dowel pin 43 may be employed and aknut 44 screwthreaded on the lower end of the plunger and held by means of a pin 45 serves to Said sothatit tends to effectively seal the ends .of the passagewayl 38 opening into the cylinder 14.

The pipes 7 and 7 a leading from the pump are arranged to discharge into the chamber under pressure. Preferably I employ a check valve 46 at the discharge end of said pipes as shown in Figs. l and 5. Such valve may be of any suitable construction being preferably adjustable to permit of varying the degree of pressure upon the oil before permitting its discharge into the pressure chamber. I-Ierein I have shown a valve casing 47 open at its lower end to receive a screw plug 4S. The lower end of the casing 47 is adapted toV be screwsthreaded into a collar or flange 49 fixed upon the chest or chamber 1. lThe opposite end of the casing 47 is restricted in size and connected by means of a lock nut 50 with the pipes 7 or 7 A check ball 5l within the valve casing is held seated upon the inner end of the passageway leading thereinto'by means of a compression spring 53 bearing between the screw plug 48 and the holding member 54 engaging with the ball 51. The screw plug 48 has an aperture therein communicating casino'- with a port 56 opening into the chamber. It will be seen that by adjusting the screw plug 48 the degree of pressure to which it is necessary to bring the oil before it can be introduced intov the compression chamber may be Varied.

. In practice the relief valve 30 between the high pressure chamber 9 and the supply chamber 8 of the pumpy is set at a somewhat higher tension than the pressure of the fluid within the chamber 1, so as to maintain in the pressure chamber 9 at all times the oil under a sufliciently high pressure to overcome the pressure of the fluid in the casing 1; and the check valve 46 is so tensioned as to permit the discharge of oil into the chest 1 when the pressure in the chamber 9 rises above the pressure in the chest.

I would have it understood that while the use of the circuitous passage 38 controlled by the plunger 13 is to be preferrechfthe invention is not thus limited but that other connections may be provided between the chamber'9 and the pointrof consumption wherein the flow of oil is not controlled by the plungers 13.A In this latter event, the check valve i6 is placed under a tension substantially equal to that of the relief valve 30 so that the flow of oil from the chamber, 9vto the point of consumption will be properly con-`v trolled. Y

-It will also be understood that when the flow of oil is controlled by the plungers 13, the use of check valves in the discharge passages 7 and 7? are not essential, since the plungers are arranged vto coact with the passageways 38 so as to regulate the quantity of oil discharged.

The upper ends of the pump cylinders through which the plungers 13 extend may be closed by any suitable gland consisting of a packing 57 and a nut 58.

Y For the purpose of filling the chamber 8 I provide an openin 59 arranged to be closed by a cap 60 which may be held in position by means of a rod 61 having a screw-threaded connection with the screw plug 35 ofthe relief valve 30. To provide an air vent for the chamber 8, the annular flange surrounding` the opening 59 and the cap fitting over said flange may be provided with grooves 62 and 62a.

The pump operating mechanism is shown (Fig. 3) as located centrally of the pump g, and to accommodate the operating lever 4. the casing is provided with an inner shell 63 providing a space 6a of suliicient size to permit of the movements of the lever. For this purpose also. the filling opening 59 and the relief valve 30 are located at one side of the center,` as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be apparent that I have provided a force feed lubricator of. a very practical character. A quantity of oil is maintained overcome the pressure at the point of consumption; and the flow of oil from the pump is at all times properly controlled.

To insure that the oil shall be maintained in a Huid condition in cold weather, a steam passageway 65 lis provided within the pump casing. This passageway may be connected with a suitable source of steam supply (not shown). v

I claim as my invention:

1. A lubricator comprising, in combination, a pump having a low pressure or supply chamber, a high pressure chamber, means establishing valve-controlled communication between said chambers, means operable to draw oil from the supply chamber and force it to the high pressure chamber, means operatively associated with the mechanism te be lubricated adapted to actuate the pump, and a discharge passage leading from the high pressure chamber, said passage being associated with and controlled by said oil drawing means.

2. A lubricator comprising, in combination with a chamber under fiuid pressure, a pump operable to force oil. to said chamber comprising a casing having a low pressure chamber and a high pressure chamber, a cylinder communicating with both o'f said chambers, a piston in said cylinder operable todraw oil from one of said chambers and fcrceit into `the other one of said chambers, and a connection between the high pressure chamber. andthe chamber under iluidpressure, said plunger being operable te control the flow of pressure .fluid-by way of'said connection.

3. A lubricator comprising, in combination with a chamber under fluid pressure, a pump operable to force oil to said chamber against the action of the pressure fluid, saidV pump comprising a casing having a low pressure chamber and a high pressure chamber, a cylinder communicating with both of said chambers, a piston in said cylinder operable to draw oil from one o'f said chambers and force it into the other one of said chambers, a connection between the high pressure chamber and the chamber under pressure, a valve-controlled passageway between said chambers adapted to permit the passage of oil from the high pressure chamber to the low pressure chamber when the pressure of the oil in the high pressure chamber reaches a predetermined degree, and a check valve in the connection between the high pressure chamber and the chamber under fluid pressure.

4. An oil pump comprising` in combination, a casing having two chambers in valvecontrolled communication with each other, a cylinder communicating with both of said chambers, a piston operable in said cylinder to draw oil from one chamber and force it into the other, and a passageway leading Yinterrupted by said plunger, the latter having a port therethrough adapted to establish communication successively between seliaratc portions of the passageway.

G. A. pump comprising, in combination, a

casing, a partition therein forming two chambers` aV Acylinder havingl an inlet connection with. one of said chambers and an outletconnection with the other one `ot said chambers there being a check valve in said outlet connection, a passage through said partition connecting said two chambers,

a valve controlling the flow ot oil through adapted to draw oil from one of said chambers and forcel it into the other, a discharge passage communicating with the Ylast mentioned chamber, and a check valveV in said passage.

7. A pump comprising, in combination, a casing having two chambers, a cylinder having an inlet connection with one ot said chambers and an outlet connection with the other one ot said chambers, there being a check valve in said outlet connection, a passage connecting said two chambers, a springcontrolled valve controlling the flow of oil through said gassage,"aV plunger in said cylinder adapted to draw oil from one ot said chambers Vand force it into the other, and a discharge passage communicating with the last mentioned chamber, said plunger being adapted to control the flow of oil through said discharge passage.

8. A lubricator comprising, the combination with a mechanism to be lubricated having a closed chamber under pressure and a moving part, of a pump comprising a casing having two chambers in valve-controlled communication with each other, a cylinder communicating with both of said chambers, a piston operable in said cylinder to draw oil t'roin one chamber and torce it into the other, a passage leading from the last mentioned chamber to the chamber of said mechanism to be lubricated, a pivoted rocker arm connected with said piston, and a lever connected with said arm and operatively ass0- ciated with said movable part to actuate the pump.

9. A lubricator comprising, in combinapistons, and an operating lever rigid withsaid arm and operable to rock it to actuate the pistons.

10. In combination with a chamber under pressure to be lubricated, a pump comprising a partitioned casing forming a high pressure chamber and a low pressure chant ber, means for drawing oil :trom the low pressure chamber and forcing it into the high pressure chamber, a connection between the high pressure chamber and the chamber to receive lubrication, and a relief valve interposed between said high and low pressure chambers adapted topermit the return ot oil to theV low pressure chamber when the h pressure in the high pressure chamber exsaid passage, Ya plunger in said cylinder ceeds a predetermined degree.

11.7111 combination with a chamber under pressure to be lubricated, apump comprising a high pressure chamber and a low pressure chamber, means l:tor'drawing oil from the low pressure chamber and forcing it into the high pressure chamber, a connection bc tween the high pressure chamber'and the chamber to receive lubrication, and a relief valve interposed between said chambers and the pump Vadapted to permit the return of oil to the low pressure chamber when the pressure in the high pressure` chamber eX- ceeds a predetermined degree, said passage connecting the high pressure chamber with the chamber to be lubricated being adapted to be controlled by the plunger in the movements thereof. f

12. In combination with a chamber under pressure to be lubricated, a pump comprising a high pressure chamber and a low pressure chamber, means for drawing oil from the low pressure chamber and forcing it into the high pressurey chamber, a connec`- tion between the high pressure chamber and the chamber to receive lubrication, and a relief valve interposed between said chambers and the pump adapted to permit the return oi oil to the low vpressure chamber when the pressure in the high pressure chamber exceeds a predetermined degree, said passage between the ,high pressure chamber and the chamber to be lubricated having a check valve therein.

13. An oil pump comprising, in combination, a casing having arlow pressure chamber and a high pressure chamber, means for drawing oil from the low pressure chamber and forcing it into the high pressure champressure is attained in the high pressure her7 a discharge passage leading from the chamber each of said valves including high pressure chamber and having a cheek springs and means for adjusting the tension 10 valve therein, and a relief valve interposed thereof.

5 between said chambers whereby to permit In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set the oil in the high pressure chamber to flow my hand. to the other chamber when a predetermined JOHN E. OSMER. 

